Green retreat with Hildegard of Bingen

With thanks to Archbishop Lynne McNaughton

This article was published on October 24, 2021.

Viriditas – a powerful word coined by the Christian mystic Hildegard of Bingen was at the centre of an amazing weekend retreat at the Sorrento Centre led by Archbishop Lynne McNaughton.

Viriditas – a combination of the Latin words for green and truth – carries a weight of meaning: Green power, fecundity, vigour and healing.

Hildegard was a German Benedictine abbess, also known as the “Sybil of the Rhine”, who lived from 1098 to 1179. Hildegard’s incredible visions continue to inspire and fascinate, even almost 1,000 years later. Her ecological vision and her deep spirituality, along with a powerful articulation of the feminine divine, were at the centre of our conversations, reflections and meditations among the 14 retreatants. One of our meditative exercises was to plant bulbs in the garden – a sign of love and hope for our Mother Earth.

Also pictured are two representations of the many visions that Hildegard received… well worth pondering…

The Sorrento Centre offers in-person and on-line retreats throughout the year – including Finding Hope in Liminal Times with Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee starting November 26th and Shadowlands / Winter Solstice with Dan Hines on December 21st, 2021.